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CSE325 Embedded Microprocessor Systems
Course Notes :: Part 1 - Intro to Embedded Systems
ARM has developed the mbed 21 suite of web-based development tools for the ARM architecture. mbed provides a free
C/C++ software library (the mbed SDK 22), the mbed Hardware Development Kit 23, and the mbed C/C++ IDE24. The
platform is designed for rapid prototyping of produces based on ARM microcontrollers. We will not be using mbed in
CSE325, but you might want to play around with it if you are interested. Note, however, that this would require flashing
new firmware to the K20 debug chip on the FRDM-KL46Z board that would support the mbed tools (the firmware
currently contains code to support the OpenSDA protocol).
High availability
Some ES's must run continuously for months or years without being powered down, or if they are powered down, it may
be for only a very short time—e.g., consider an implanted medical device such as a pacemaker or insulin pump.
3 Overview of ES Components
3.1 Processors
You all know what a microprocessor is so I won't spend anytime discussing that. Suffice it to say, it wouldn't be an ES
without a processor of some sort.
3.1.1 Processor-Taxonomy
There are several different types of processors used in ES's.
General-Purpose Processor — Microprocessor
[Ref: VAHID p. 1-5] A general-purpose (GP) microprocessor25 is designed to be used in a wide variety of designs (laptops,
desktop systems, supercomputers, pad computers, ES's) with a primary goal being to maximum processor sales for the
manufacturer (which is accomplished by selling the chips in large volume; hence they must be very versatile). Intel's
Pentium, Celeron, Atom, Core, Core 2, and Xeon chips and AMD's Athlon, Sempron, Turion, Opteron, and Phenom
chips—which are used in almost all desktop, laptops, and supercomputers—are examples of general-purpose processors.
Major components,
GP processors are not commonly used in ES's because in many cases they are overkill, i.e., offer more performance than
the system requires, consume too much power, and/or also cost more than alternative processors. They also lack many of
the peripheral components that ES's rely on, and although these components can be added to the design, they will be external to the processor and thus increase the size of the printed circuit board (PCB).
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mbed: https://developer.mbed.org/
mbed SDKhttps://developer.mbed.org/handbook/mbed-SDK
mbed HDK: https://developer.mbed.org/handbook/mbed-HDK
mbed Compiler: https://developer.mbed.org/handbook/mbed-Compiler
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microprocessor
(c) Kevin R. Burger :: Computer Science & Engineering :: Arizona State University :: Fall 2015
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